Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-02-12

be fun OF them unless you insist upon new de-
| parture in the mode OF building the walls and
floors. / very much doubt whether there is a
b So ar . ei 0t ar
concerned in very nearly the same way that
houses were built when questions OF safety and
Houses upon which money is spent by the ton,
silver standards, have still the hollow wooden
AZ snR SGG n the ana nne WsT
ensure swift and uncomfortable combustion II nre
once finds its way inside the iniammaole fues
into which they are skillfully arranged.
suppose the jointed arm OF wall bracket
| for gas is carelessly turned too near
one Of these wooden partitions TIL the thin strip
have had any experience you viii not need 10 be
told, and II you have not you can easily imagine,
studs gaining speed and strength as 1t rises even
| as mountain torrent Is swollen in its downward
tn o sweeps p all before b Il You rush to the
| fore you. and If you tear hole in the wall you
| simply fan the flame to greater activity. II its
pair of studs between which IT started the chase
would not be quite so hopeless. But at every floor
there are lateral fues that have been waiting pa
tfently ever since the house built and getting
themselves dry as finder for this very opportu-
nifty. 1t Will also appear that the chips and shaw
tngS left in these hidden cavities by the builders
had mission, tempting morsels for the voracious
| fre-fend.
Now, can you not see that If these walls, parti-
lions and floors were all solid fre in any part OF
the house would be comparatively harmless pro-
vded 1t were discovered before the walls and roof
began to fall in. Moreover, it Is OF little conSe-
| Quence in most cases whether the materials OF
which they are composed are combustible or not.
Certainly fire proof material is to be preferred but
it is not Indispensable to safety; main point is
| that there shall be no hidden cavities communi-
eating with each other Theoretically 1t is enough
that the cavities In the wooden walls shall be cut
| up by transverse divisions into separate cells;
there is too much room for negligence and Inn
perfect work for this TO be reliable in practice So,
unless hollow bricks or tiles used for building
the walls. there is no absolute safety but in
so1dity; that is the one thing needfu. This seems
very simple thing to say, yet ii is the beginning
and end OF safe building as regards fire. To de-
| scribe the various possible methods OF building
| OF heat and dampness, and In order to secure
pest construction In respect TO economy, Wis
| 1De ueSlgn and other matters OF detail, would
make this letter too long, so, by way OF recapitu-
| latiOn, will only remark that fraction or the
expense that is frequently applied for superficial
essential structure OF your house safe and In
offensive as to its plumbing and drainage, whole
| some and cheerful as TO its atmosphere, and so
free from reltripS that you need not live in con-
slant fear lest the works Of "bigotry and virtue"
which you will put into IL, and the other furnish.
1ngs and decorations which may be OF far greater
value than the house ITSELF should vanish like the
baseleSs fabric of dream through the careless
ness OF ServantDr the ignorance OF a child.
| Z. c. GARDNER.
The following note requires no explanation:
my Dear -Architect: have just sold my lot on
the corner OF oregon avenue and j street for
| find another desirable northeast corner, think
| Shall explore the suburbs. suppose that will
make no difference with the plans as far as you
have gone with them Yours. JOHN"